For nearly 20 years, the Lapidim Program has been nurturing Israel’s next generation of entrepreneurs, researchers, and technology leaders.
Founded at the initiative of Prof. Oded Shmueli, the program has continued to grow and evolve. Today, it brings together a community of alumni who hold key positions in research, entrepreneurship, and industry.
Last week, the Faculty hosted the Lapidim Alumni Conference 2026, bringing together alumni from all cohorts for an evening of networking, sharing, and inspiration.
The evening featured two panel discussions with program alumni, moderated by Prof. Irad Yavneh, a faculty member at the Faculty of Computer Science.
Entrepreneurship Panel - Nadir Izrael, co-founder of Armis, and Shaul Kfir, founder of Digital Asset, shared their experiences in building companies and navigating the entrepreneurial journey. They discussed, among other things, the importance of choosing the right partners, dealing with uncertainty, and the challenges facing entrepreneurs today.
Research Panel - Prof. Dana Drachsler-Cohen, Dr. Anat Etzion-Fuchs, and Dr. Nofar Carmeli presented three distinct career paths in research, spanning academia, industry, and international research institutes. The discussion also explored how artificial intelligence is transforming the research landscape and which uniquely human capabilities will remain essential in the AI era.
Beyond its professional content, the conference was an opportunity to celebrate the connections forged over the years and bring together different generations of alumni. As the evening highlighted, leadership does not emerge in a vacuum it is also built through community, collaboration, and networks of connections.
Nearly two decades after the first cohort began its journey, the Lapidim community continues to grow, evolve, and make an impact. This gathering was another opportunity to witness the power of these connections.
Thank you to all the alumni, participants, and organizers who made this evening so special!
View the event photo album at the link.
Photo: Tomer Elmakiyes
[Back to the news index]